1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retraction device for laparoscopy which retracts tissues without the help of assistant's hands during laparoscopy.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, laparoscopy, which is performed within the abdomen using a subminiature video camera and various surgical tools inserted into the abdomen through plural small incisions of usually 0.5-1.5 cm, is being applied to a wide variety of diseases affecting organs in the abdominal cavity.
Such laparoscopy uses a small incision size as compared to traditional laparotomy, thus having advantages, such as reduced surgical pain, rapid recovery and minimal or no scarring.
The above laparoscopy requires retraction of a tissue so as to assist in surgery. As one example, laparoscopic anterior resection of a patient suffering lesion of the rectum and colon requires retraction of the rectum when dissection of the rectum is performed after dissection of the sigmoid colon.
Dissection of the rectum which is generally performed is achieved by a method in which an assistant draws the intestinal tract or the mesentery with laparoscopic clamps, or binds and draws the rectum with a thin string.
However, such a method requires assistant's one hand or two hands to draw the rectum and thus has a drawback in that the assistant cannot help a main operator. Particularly, when an experienced doctor grants a right as a main operator to a beginning surgeon and the experienced doctor serves as an assistant, drawing of the rectum with assistant's two hands may cause a dangerous situation.
As another example, laparoscopic low anterior resection of a female patient suffering rectal cancer requires retraction of the uterus to the abdominal wall. In this case, a method in which a needle connected to a suture is inserted into the abdominal cavity through the abdominal wall from the outside, passes through the uterus, exits the abdominal cavity through the abdominal wall, and is then ligated is mainly used.
However, such a method requires penetration of the abdominal wall twice and easily causes tearing of the uterus due to the pressure of the suture, thereby increasing a possibility of uterine hemorrhage.
Therefore, a retraction device which facilitates convenient retraction of tissues without damage to the tissues and frees assistant's two hands during surgery so as to enable the assistant to more actively assist in surgery is necessary.